Introduced to graduates as the funniest man on earth, actor and comedian Jim Carrey was a surprise speaker at Maharishi University's School of Management commencement ceremony.
And while he kept the jokes and outrageous facial expressions flowing, his speech was studded with earnest and genuine pieces of advice. Much of his insight came from his own experience.
Carrey shared the valuable lesson he learned watching his father sacrifice doing what he loved -- being a comedian -- for the good of his family. It wasn't until his father lost his job as an accountant that Carrey realized the importance of following your dreams.
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"I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love," Carrey told the graduates at the Fairfield, Iowa university.
Ultimately, every decision they make will be motivated by either love of fear. His father chose fear. It was a deceptively easy choice because fear can be hard to recognize. "So many of us chose our path out of fear disguised as practicality," Carrey said. "What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I'm saying I'm the proof that you can ask the universe for it. And if it doesn't happen for you right away, it's only because the universe is so busy fulfilling my order."
Watch highlights from his commencement address below
